When You're Taught Through Feelings
by I'm Miss World
Summary: The past comes back to repeat itself in a karmatic way for one young witch. Socially acceptable or not, temptation doesn't discriminate. Student-teacher relationships are definitely forbidden though.Rating will change. Draco/OC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I have not recently read the books thoroughly, so I do apologize for any mistakes.

**A/N: **Okay, so this story is about four years in the making. This is not the first Harry Potter story I have written, though the ones I used to have up have been taken down. I've never seen a plot done like the one I've come up with, though I surely haven't read every Potter fic on this site. Then again, I did come up with this idea about four years ago and still haven't seen an exploding trend of this plot the way the 'summer's at the Malfoy's' and 'Slytherin loves Gryffindor' stories have. So maybe no one has done it yet. This story has been modified with the release of the later books of course since I first started it, and has been picked apart with proofread after proofread. I'm hoping my idea is an original and properly executed one. I won't lie, I'm usually confident in my writing and my ideas, but this one does have me worried, mainly because this fandom can be a harsh one. But here goes nothing. Takes place following Voldemort's demise, where Draco returns to Hogwarts to finish his final year. A picture of my OC is in my profile.

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When You're Taught Through Feelings**

**Prologue**

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Aradia Mercer had lived in England her entire life, though for a twenty-one year old witch, she was well traveled. The spawn of a wealthy pureblood family, Aradia was very learned, having been privately tutored at home, her proud father unwilling to allow her to be taught at Hogwarts, despite it's prestige, simply because Albus Dumbledore was a muggle-lover. She was also privileged enough to experience first hand the teachings of many wizards around the world who authored the very books most students were forced to read for classes.

Though Dia loved the traveling, she had never minded the home schooling, especially since her tutor was a young man by the name of Lucian Scott. The twenty-five year old wizard also derived from a pureblooded family, having graduated with highest honors from Hogwarts years prior. He was also a Death Eater, along with Aradia's father, Martin Mercer, and many of his friends and colleagues.

Things hadn't gone as planned as far as the tutoring went though. For years, it was a very normal situation, until Aradia hit her pubescent peak. Once she began to develop the mind and body of a young woman as opposed to a little girl, Lucian began having trouble concentrating on the texts, much more distracted by the way Dia would arch her back in a stretch or cross her legs, robe falling open to expose her bronzed thigh.

It didn't take very long for the then sixteen year old to notice all the sideways and lingering glances from her tutor's alluring green eyes. Lucian was a handsome one, with a strong jaw and long brown hair he kept pulled in a loose tie at the back of his neck. So naturally, a naïve, young girl would think nothing negative of advancing on his clear signals. Lucian, being a mortal man, was unable to reject the object of his desires when she was so willingly offering herself, disregarding age and the guidelines for a conventional student and teacher relationship all to indulge in the throes of passion.

Though he may have been foolish to trust the young man alone with his developing daughter, Martin was no fool, and caught on to their inappropriate relationship soon enough. The loss of her purity completely voided the betrothal he'd had arranged for her since she was a toddler, and this infuriated the older man.

Martin abruptly sent her to study abroad once again, flooing her off to Romania first, followed by Spain and Hungary to be trained by world-renowned wizards. Mere weeks had passed since her departure form England when Lucian's owl stopped bringing her the daily parcels and letters where she stayed in Bucharest, and only two weeks later, she was sent a letter from her father, the ink only able to be read by his daughter's tear filled eyes, explaining the deceit of Lucian against the Dark Lord and his inevitable execution.

Needless to highlight, Aradia never saw her beloved Lucian again, and though she had no real evidence, nor a desire to come to terms with this dreadful truth, she knew her father had taken part in having Lucian murdered. Once you betrayed the trust of a Death Eater or the Dark Lord, you were condemned to death.

Of course, those were different times; times when it wasn't okay for Aradia to express that she really had no preference to pure or muggle blood; times when she would cry herself to sleep with the overwhelming guilt of her lover's death; times when her father wasn't serving the remainder of his sorry life in Azkaban.

Times before Harry Potter ultimately defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort and saved the entire wizarding world from destruction.

Aradia was now a healthy, young witch, living life on her own, about to enter the line of work for the first real time, without being labeled an apprentice of some sort. She had applied and been granted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The success in receiving the position at the famed school came as quite a surprise to Dia, as she was positive there would've been other applicants more experienced and qualified than she. There was a rumor that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was cursed, no teacher lasting very long, but Dia just believed it to be schoolyard tales. But after being told in a letter from the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall that no one else had applied for the job, Aradia was beginning to worry.

Cursed or not though, Dia was determined to try her hand at teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to the students of a renewed Hogwarts. It was an opportunity far too rare to pass up without at least an attempt. Besides, she was probably just being foolish. After all, from what she understood, some of the more recent professors under her new title didn't hold the position because of pre-Potter's victory circumstances.

A pulse of excitement ran through Dia's veins as she imagined being able to have Harry as a student. After all, because of the war, most students did not complete their years. Imagine being able to interact with _Harry Potter_, the boy who, not only lived, but saved the entire wizarding world?! She imagined perhaps he would teach her better than she could him at this point though. The thought made her giggle and wonder why the school wouldn't have Potter himself teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, of all subjects.

This idea made her nerves return once again, the potential realization of her students seeing her as a joke, all having gone to school with the Great Harry Potter. What use was she when a seventeen-year-old boy could take down the most evil man in the history of magic? Aradia inhaled deeply, telling herself that she was over analyzing this situation. The students were sure to still be shaken up and distracted, trying to settle back in to their school after the brutal battle at Hogwarts. And the new students were sure to be too frightened themselves to haze and harass the new professor.

She stood from where she sat on the edge of her bed, the bed she would be leaving behind when she went to Hogwarts in… fifteen minutes according to the enchanted wall clock! The limited time she had left to mentally prepare herself sent another wave of panic through her nervously quivering body as she looked at her reflection in the floor length mirror before her, straightening her hair, robes and make up… anything that seemed even the _slightest_ bit out of place.

'_This is ridiculous. Pull yourself together girll.'_ Blinking her blue eyes, Aradia took a calming breath, straightening her back and shoulders, as she would when she arrived and approached Professor McGonagall. She was relived when she saw that she looked very confident and professional, and this gave her the drive she needed to move away from the mirror and get going.

"Okay. Let me just double check…" Dia spoke to no one in particular as she opened her trunk to be sure everything she needed was inside. Going through a quick mental checklist easily ate up ten minutes before the overly stressed woman was satisfied and shut the lid of her Candice Kissings designer engorged trunk. You can't blame a girl for enjoying the finer things in life when she had been raised with all the lavish luxuries a wealthy wizarding family could afford. Taking her twelve inch holly, ashwinder ash core wand, a feeling of absolute determination settled in, she pointed it to her trunk and cast the spell to shrink the luggage to a portable size. "Reducio."

With a satisfied sigh, she turned back to her clock and her face fell. "Oh shit," Dia hissed, realizing she'd better get a move on. There was a portkey ready for her in the backyard of her house that would transport her right into Hogwarts, so McGonagall had assured her in a letter received last week.

Lifting her, now, small load of luggage, Dia rushed downstairs and performed a quick spell to lock up the house, also setting a magical alarm for any intruders before she made it outside, rushing over to the cracked, stone plant pot in the garden.

Securing her belongings and exhaling a held breath, Aradia reached out and touched the weathered stone, feeling the familiar tugging sensation at her navel and knowing there was no turning back now.


	2. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I have not recently read the books thoroughly, so I do apologize for any mistakes.

**A/N:** Thanks so much to those who reviewed! I've been pouring everything I have into this story and trying to perfect it for a about four years now, so it means a lot. This chapter is a bit dry, but introductions usually are.

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When You're Taught Through Feelings**

**Chapter I**

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Aradia stumbled forward, quickly recovering her balance before she fell on the stone floor that was now below her feet, standing with her arms stretched and knees slightly bent to be sure she was steady. Her posture returned to that of a normal human being and she took this time to look around, hoping no one had seen her not so graceful arrival. She immediately recognized the Great Hall, the dining and meeting area of Hogwarts. This is where Dia had apparated from Hogsmeade Station in order to be interviewed by McGonagall nearly a month ago. However, she had been informed that the available window for apparition was only for that specific reason, and there was constantly a lock on apparition and disapparition unless lifted by the Headmistress herself.

This had ultimately been the only part of Hogwarts she had seen previously. The four long tables with the banners of the four different houses; Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, were all topped with empty place settings at the moment, however she had been told that there would be a large feast after the Sorting Ceremony, which would determine which house all the new students would be placed in.

She became distracted by the enchanted ceiling, seeing the twilit sky above, candles floating magically to illuminate the room. Her trance was broken though as someone cleared their throat. Turning, she came face to face with an older man, a bit of a hunch in his back, cradling a scrawny cat in his arms. He had graying, stringy hair that hung past his shoulders and bugging pale eyes that held a look of suspicion and accusation in them. "Is there something I can help you with?" his ragged voice asked, a none too pleasant tone to it.

Dia mimicked the man, clearing her own throat to prevent stuttering before replying. His appearance had startled her slightly. "Um, yes. My name is Aradia Mercer. I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I'm not really sure where I need to be Mister…"

"Filch. Argus Filch." He eyed the young woman up and down for a minute, a puzzled look creasing his overly exposed forehead more so than it already had been. But instead of asking a question, as she had anticipated from his expression, he turned on his heel, the tail of his haggard brown coat flapping outward. Placing his cat gently on the ground, he patted her head, the feline replying with a congested purr, before the animal scampered off. "Leave your things and come right this way," Filch instructed, shuffling towards the large double doors on the north wall.

Dia kept his pace, which was actually a little difficult because she preferred to walk at a faster stride most of the time, but this also gave her the opportunity to observe her surroundings as she followed him into the entrance hall. The ceiling was so incredibly high she could hardly see it! She also noticed four large, empty hourglasses, and silently wondered what they were for, but refrained from asking. Eyes focusing on the large oak doors, which must've been the main entrance to the castle, Dia swore the suits of armor on either side had moved a little, but decided it must've just been the flickering illumination from the lit torches lining the wall. And just as she focused her attention on following Filch again—

"Ah!" Dia squealed in horror as an obvious poltergeist, to her educated eyes at least, lifted her skirt and blew a raspberry at her when she held it down before her knickers were exposed.

The obnoxious spirit was dressed in an array of bright colors and looked rather impish, doing somersaults in the air as he floated above her and her guide. "New teacher, eh? Bit young, ain't she?" With a cackle, he disappeared, but his voice remained. "Oi, the blokes are gonna love this!"

Filch made a distasteful noise in the back of his throat, eyes shifting skeptically, as if waiting for the Hogwarts nuisance to return at any second, before he muttered curses under his breath before swinging open a single door and scuffling down the newly revealed hallway.

"Pest or not, Peeves there does have a point. You look rather young," the old man's voice called to the, indeed, young witch behind him. "How old are you, if it's not too bold a question?"

Unlike many of the women Dia had met in her life, her father associating with the people he did, she was not offended by the generally avoided question directed at her gender. "I'm sure I am quite a bit younger than most of the staff. I'm only twenty one, but I've studied under many, many experienced witches and wizards," Aradia explained, looking from side to side at the different, moving scenes in the pictures lining the stonewalls.

Filch made a slight gurgling noise as they stopped in front of another door. "Oh yes, you'll be trouble indeed. I'm sure I'll have plenty to do this year, keeping the boys away from your classroom." There was almost an undertone of delight in his worn voice, as if he _enjoyed_ getting students in trouble.

Filch opened the door, exposing a warmly decorated room with a lit fireplace and comfortable looking sofas against the walls. There were three people present, all being distracted by the interruption. "This here is the staff room. Professor McGonagall should be in shortly to address you all." And without another word, Filch retreated, leaving Aradia to awkwardly walk in alone and roll on the balls of her feet while the three other teachers stared in wonder at her.

"Merlin's beard, I would've thought you a student dear girl!" a rather plump, gray haired woman chortled, standing from her seat on a plush looking, burgundy sofa. Dia had a feeling she was going to receive comments like that often. "You must be the new Muggle Studies instructor, correct?"

Dia laughed lightly, knowing she would probably be one of the most under qualified people to teach that particular subject, not having bee exposed to many muggle devices in her life. "Oh, no. I'm actually here to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

The woman looked surprised, but replaced her shock with a smile, her rosy cheeks squinting her blue eyes. "How incredibly impressive! Well, my name is Pomona Sprout, and I'm the Hufflepuff head and Herbology instructor." Her chubby hand reached out and Aradia allowed her own slender hand to shake the older witch's.

"Aradia Mercer. Very pleased to meet you." Sprout looked as if she were racking her brain for some sort of recognition, but was seemingly unsuccessful in doing so. Dia was slowly filled with a feeling of dread, knowing her father's name had been on the _Daily_ _Prophet_'s list of those imprisoned after the final battle. Someone was bound to make the connection.

A very short, older man came up to Dia next, after struggling a little to slide off the chair he had been sitting in since his feet didn't quite touch the floor. "Welcome to Hogwarts my dear. Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw and Charms professor,' he squeaked at me, offering his had as Sprout had.

"Charmed," Aradia replied genuinely, finding the small man almost adorable. Flitwick smiled widely at the young witch before literally jumping back into his seat.

Aradia looked to the third teacher, first noticing the very thick, round glasses she wore, making the woman's eye look extremely oversized. Her hair was wild ad unkempt and her cloak decorated with sequins and accompanied by a collection of bangles adorning her wrists. With her hands up ear her face, as if reaching out to Dia, the woman spoke, an ethereal tone to her voice. "There is an aura about you."

Sprout, who was still standing beside Aradia snorted and rolled her eyes at her colleague. "Oh Sybil, none of that nonsense on the girl's first day here." Looking from side to side as if she were going to be jumped, the wacky professor backed away, returning to the corer she had once been in and muttering to herself about cards and crystals. "If you couldn't tell already, she's the Divination teacher. Sybil Trelawney," Professor Sprout told the newcomer. Well, that certainly made sense.

Aradia sat with her new peers, chatting lightly, and being introduced to the remainder of the staff as they made their way into the room. She had paid extra attention, not wanting to forget any of her co-workers names. Aurora Sinistra looked to perhaps be in her early forties, with golden blonde hair and a tall, thin frame, and taught Astronomy. Septima Vector, a petite, scholarly looking, middle-aged woman served as the Arithmancy professor. Bathsheda Babbling was stout and plain-faced, small circular spectacles resting seemingly on the tip of her nose, and taught Ancient Runes, a subject Aradia had never fancied herself.

The Potions master introduced himself very politely and eagerly as Horace Slughorn. With his silver hair, bushy mustache and gooseberry colored eyes, he was also very robust and on the shorter side. He was very talkative, Dia noticed, explaining to her he'd only come out of retirement and taken the position as a special request from McGonagall herself. He was also the Head of Slytherin.

She was a little startled to see that there was a ghost, Professor Cuthbert Binns, who taught History of Magic. And that he was quite clearly unaware that he was deceased. Another, even more shocking staff member was Firenze, a centaur, who had left his herd to take Trelawney's place when she'd bee on probation, and had since stayed and began teaching the class alongside her. Aradia found him to be quite handsome in a wiser and distinguished way.

Also present were Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse, who had specks of gray decorating her brown hair and sharp brown eyes, and Irma Pince, the school's librarian, who was skeletally thin and had a long, hooked nose and very exposed cheekbones.

Dia also found out she was not the only newcomer to the Hogwarts staff. Dadelus Diggle, a small, old wizard who was wearing a purple top hat, had taken the spot of Transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor House in place of McGonagall. There was also Arabella Figg, who had left her job as a Keazle breeder to take up the position of Muggle Studies professor, despite being a squib. Meeting and remembering everyone was slightly overwhelming, but Aradia was very pleased to know she wasn't the only fresh meat, eve if she was still the youngest staff member.

Professor Minerva McGonagall finally made her first appearance of the day, being followed in by a very tall man, who Aradia guessed must be part giant, and a younger man, one who looked to be Dia's age, maybe a little older. Filch followed the other three, cat hot on his trail.

"I have bee notified that the train has just arrived at Hogsmeade Station. I just wanted to have the opportunity to quickly address all of you before the students arrive. The ground rules remain the same, but I will of course elaborate on those after the first years are sorted. New professors, I apologize for the limited time we have tonight, but things always move fast this first day of school and with the help of Professor Sprout, we have only just gotten a nasty gnome infestation udder control. Any questions that remain unanswered by the end of the feast can be answered by myself or Deputy Head Rubeus Hagrid, for those who don't know," the black haired witch said, motioning to the tall, burly man still standing beside her. The younger man and Filch had both occupied some empty seats and everyone's full attention was on McGonagall. "As always, it is crucial you are all present for the ceremony that will begin once the students have arrived and settled in. So please, make your way into the Great Hall. And of course, welcome to Hogwarts." The staff clapped in respect and appreciation for the headmistress before she turned, deep green robes swishing behind her as she disappeared down the hallway.

Hagrid followed after her, and Aradia decided it was the best and safest decision to follow the other professors as they filed out and just head into the Great Hall immediately instead of exploring the castle she was sure to get lost in. Slughorn felt inclined to walk beside Dia, talking her ear off in the journey to the Great Hall as she humored him, nodding, smiling and laughing at nearly everything the older man said. He believed he was leaving a wonderful impression on her and this clearly pleased the wizard, though Aradia mentally noted to keep her distance from the Potions professor if she was ever in a rush to get somewhere.

The ceiling in the Great Hall was now starlit, and Dia noticed her things were no longer there, and just hoped that she would be able to locate them afterwards. In a gentlemanly fashion, Slughorn had taken the young woman's arm in his, leading her up a short set of stairs to the Head's Table that sat parallel to the east wall. There was one high chair in the middle, with a row of chairs on either side of the throne-like seat, all against the very long, wooden table. "This is the Head's Table my dear. It looks as though you'll be sitting near young Master Wood and myself," the Slytherin Head mused, pulling out a chair and gesturing for her to take her seat.

She smiled and thanked him, taking the offered chair and he sat to her right, closer to where the headmistress would obviously sit than she. Slughorn continued to chat with the young woman until the neighbor to his right, Professor Flitwick, caught his attention and the two began discussing the newly discovered Pygmy Kelpie excitedly.

Dia took this opportunity to glance to her left, attention free enough to look the young wizard beside her over as he spoke quietly to Madam Pomfrey on his other side. She detected his Scottish accent immediately, eyes looking over his seemingly fit torso as inconspicuously as possible. But before the inspection could go any further, and before she could be caught looking, the main entrance to the Great Hall burst open and the four tables were filled with students, some hugging and greeting friends, others looking up at the Head's Table, whispering. Some waved at teachers, including the young man beside her, and she noticed a handful of students pointing at herself, probably wondering who she was and what she'd be teaching… and why she looked as if she could be sitting at a house table as a student with them.

Dia cleared her thoughts as McGonagall entered the room, nearly silencing the students with her presence, only a buzzing whisper now audible. She took her seat at the middle of the table and sat with an air of authority, square spectacles sitting perfectly on the bridge of her nose.

It was then that Hagrid came through the door, followed by a line of nervous looking children, no more than eleven or twelve years old. Dia could easily empathize with them right about now, feeling the same way about entering this intimidating, large school. And she'd only seen the ground floor of the castle!

With him, Hagrid had a wooden stool and a ruddy, scorched looking hat that Aradia certainly would never allow on her head. He placed the stool on the platform in front of the Head's Table and placed the hat atop it, moving to the side and standing with his arms folded in front of him, his cheeks rosy and an apparent smile on his face, though you couldn't be sure through his bushy, black beard.

The room was completely silent right now, and would you imagine everyone's surprise, well at least those who had never witnessed it before, when the hat began to sing! Aradia understood the qualities a person needed to possess to land them in any of the four houses through the clever little tune and when it had ended, Hagrid was handed a scroll from McGonagall and stepped up to a centered podium. "Come up as I read yer names and sit at the stool ter be sorted." Clearing his throat, he opened the scroll and read off the first name while Dia wondered how this process worked exactly. "Aarons, Danielle!"

A very small, very timid looking blonde girl stepped out of the crowd of first years and made her way up to the stool, Hagrid picking the Sorting Hat up so she could sit on the stool before dropping it on hr head. The hat was so big, it nearly covered the girl's face. Only a few seconds passed before the hat broke the silence.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuff table cheered as the hat was taken off of her head and replaced it on the stool before she rushed over to the table with a broad smile on her face, being congratulated and welcomed in a friendly way by students who looked to be only a bit younger than she.

The ceremony went on like this until all the first years were sitting at their respective house's table, and silence again filled the room as McGonagall stepped up to the podium Hagrid had been at previously. "Welcome everyone, to another year at Hogwarts. Without any further adieu, let the feast begin!" And by magic, food appeared on all of the tables, hungry students grabbing greedily at the turkey and biscuits and gulping down pumpkin juice in one swallow.

For the first few minutes, Dia just listened to the conversations around her, taking her time to savor the delicious meal and observe the student's reactions to a ghost at the Gryffindor table who had knocked his head off to the side.

"Aradia, is it?" The sound of the Scottish drawl beside her made her jump a little since she hadn't been paying attention, and she turned to get her first real, good, concentrated look at him.

"Yes. And you're… Oliver, correct?" Dia cursed mentally, noticing that he was indeed on the attractive side, and was going to be a potential distraction. He had very soft, welcoming brown eyes, sandy brown hair and a stunning smile to boot.

"I am. So, this is your first year teaching here?" he made small talk, while cutting into some ham on his plate.

"It's my first year teaching period," she emphasized. "I'm actually quite nervous. This place is so big. I'm going to be wandering the halls forever trying to find everything."

Wood chuckled, his chocolate eyes sparkling. "Well, I used to go here, so if you need a tour guide, I'm your man," the young wizard offered.

Hw could a girl possibly refuse that?

"Thank you, that would be wonderful." Then, like an excited pre-teen, she blurted out a question pertaining to his former attendance of Hogwarts. "Did you know Harry Potter?" Immediately, she wanted to cover her mouth and pretend she hadn't just asked that, but Oliver only smiled.

"Harry? Oh yeah! I was captain of Gryffindor's quidditch team his first year and made him seeker. Talented bloke. We still write each other back and forth, keep in touch, you know." He shrugged as if it were no big deal.

Silence settled between the two and Dia sipped her pumpkin juice slowly, watching Wood from the corner of her eye. He was staring, as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to say it. And Dia was sure she knew what that question was.

"I'm twenty one. I probably only got the position because no one else applied. Something about a curse." She waved her hand in dismissal. "I don't believe in that sort of rubbish. Besides, you can't be much older than me."

He looked a little startled, but then just covered it up with a smooth laugh. "Twenty three and counting," he confirmed. "So, where did you go to school? Obviously not here; I would've remembered you." He was blatantly flirting with her, and Dia didn't really know how to react. Was this proper, to be exchanging coy smiles and batting her eyelashes at her colleague?

"I was home schooled. But I've had a lot of training. I've been all over the place, met so many wizards, and learned so much over the years. It's a good thing I retain information well or I doubt I'd be even halfway qualified for this job." Thinking about his age, she realized he was probably a new professor here as well. "Is this _your_ first year teaching?"

"Well, I'm on the reserve team for Puddlemere Untied. I play keeper. But after everything that happened here last year, I just wanted to keep an eye on the school while everyone settled down again. The flying instructor, Madam Hooch, her daughter's got a little one on the way and she wants to be around to help her. So I volunteered to fill in until the start of training." Aradia's eyebrows rose at this information, impressed by the fact he was playing for an extremely popular quidditch team, even though she wasn't a big fan of the sport herself.

She continued to carry a light conversation with the only present person who seemed to be in her age group throughout the feast, learning little things about Oliver and his time spent at Hogwarts. She also listened as he went off about quidditch, something he was clearly passionate about, and though it didn't really interest her, the ambition in his voice was rather charming.

Hours later, once the feast had been cleared away, McGonagall took her place at the podium once again, silencing the room as her presence had seemed to do every time thus far. "Now, before we retire to our dormitories, I have a few announcements. There have been more changes than usual to the staff, and joining our returning professors, we have Horace Slughorn, who has agreed to stay out of retirement and continue with his position as Potions master and Slytherin Head of House." Slughorn stood and nodded as he was applauded by most of the students, some looking more excited than others.

"Dadelus Diggle will be replacing me as Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration professor." The small man stood and was also applauded, just as Arabella Figg was as she was introduced next. "Taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is Miss Aradia Mercer." Dia's heart beat quickly in her chest and she swore everyone could hear it by the way it felt as she stood up, presenting herself to an entire school. She was received with whispers and applause, and as she took her seat once again, a loud wolf-whistle sounded through the hall, met with laughter from the students. "That will be enough of that Mr. Zabini. Settle down now," McGonagall scolded, looking rather cross. How she knew which student had been guilty was beyond her, but she was too busy hiding her blush to ponder the thought anymore.

"I am also pleased to welcome back someone many of you may recognize. Our very own Oliver Wood will be filling in for Madam Hooch for the first half of the year while she is at home, assisting her pregnant daughter." Oliver stood, receiving very loud cheers of approval from the Gryffindor table before taking his seat beside Aradia once again, flashing the young woman a smile as he caught her eye. "He would like me to remind you all that quidditch trials will begin the second week of term and anyone interested in playing should contact him.

"As always, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds, and any students caught breaking this rule will be punished accordingly. I also must advise keeping a distance from the lake, as the squid seems to be in a rather foul mood as of late and will not hesitate to splash at those who venture too closely to the shore. Also, if any gnomes are spotted outside of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons, please notify the nearest prefect or professor. Mr. Filch would also like me to remind students that magic is not to be used in the hallways in order to prevent any unnecessary accidents or injuries. Now, if all students would follow the prefects of their respected house to the common rooms in an orderly fashion, we can all have a good night's sleep on a full stomach to prepare ourselves for the first day of classes tomorrow. You are dismissed." And with those final words, the hall began to clear out.


	3. Chapter II

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I have not recently read the books thoroughly, so I do apologize for any mistakes.

**A/N:** Thanks to all of you that reviewed. Sorry for the delay. I had a little trouble organizing this chapter.

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When You're Taught Through Feelings**

**Chapter II**

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In the mass chaos of everyone in Hogwarts trying to get through the front doors of the Great Hall at once, Aradia ended up lost in a sea of people, when she had been trying to stay with Wood, who'd so kindly offered to show her to her room. How the entrance hall emptied so quickly, she'd never quite understand, so she decided it was probably a good idea to walk around and _try_ to find someone to show her where to go since Wood, along with the rest of the Hogwarts residents, was nowhere to be found.

Dia made her way to where three sets of stairs were, the one in the middle ascending, the two on either side of that one descending. The young woman chewed her lip as she tried to decide which way to go, noting that the staircase going down to the left didn't look very welcoming at all.

There was a somewhat foreboding feeling to it, as if only trouble could come by going down that particular set of stairs.

'_Even so, going up makes the most sense. Surely there's more of the school upstairs instead of underground,'_ the brunette reasoned, still hesitant to move from this very spot, wondering if she just stayed put maybe Oliver would come back and look for her.

And as Aradia had decided to remain in the entrance hall, only for another five minutes or so, a blonde head appeared from the stairs that oozed uneasiness, a black-cloaked young man attached to it.

He stopped short once he reached the top, eyes setting on the new professor, brow lifting slightly in wonder. However, it took him less than a second to realize the silly girl had absolutely no idea where she was supposed to go, and this fully amused him, his demeanor settling into a radiating confident swagger, more so than usual.

"Lost?" The blonde leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, a knowing look on his face as Aradia approached him.

"A little," she admitted shyly. "You wouldn't happen to know where the Defense Against the Dark Arts office is, would you?"

He scoffed, eyes rolling ever so slightly, muscles contracting as he pushed away from the wall and took a step closer to her. "Of course I do. I _am_ Head Boy, after all." Dia's blue eyes caught sight of the shiny badge that indeed read 'Head Boy' on the breast of his onyx robe. "I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy." He offered his hand to the woman, which she took, a little shocked when he leaned down and brushed his lips against her knuckles. Quickly, she pulled her hand back.

"I don't think that's a proper greeting for a student to give their teacher," she voiced, feeling a burn in her cheeks at the impropriety of it all.

"Yes well, formality comes first and foremost for us purebloods, right?" A smirk appeared on his lips when Dia's eyebrows rose in obvious surprise. "You think I didn't recognize your name? Mercer. Our fathers were… _friends_."

Suddenly, the stark blonde hair and surname were all too recognizable. "Of course they were… Draco _Malfoy_. I should have known. I recall a meeting with you once a long time ago, that resulted in me 'accidentally' falling in the near frozen pond in your backyard." Her foot tapped a few times, aggravation at the memory rising, only causing the corner of the younger Malfoy's lips to twitch. It had certainly been no accident when Draco had pushed her into the pond when they were very young after she refused to play a game of Exploding Snap with him.

"Yes well, with age comes maturity. We were children then. But I can see that we're all grown up now." His eyes traveled over her body, lingering in certain areas, before landing back on her face.

This action did not go unnoticed by Aradia and she was slightly horrified, Peeves' earlier prediction becoming reality far too quickly. "That is _much_ too inappropriate." Her tone was dominating and strict, though Draco hardly seemed impressed at all.

Again, his silver eyes rolled, uncaring that the witch standing before him was supposed to be treated with the same superiority as the other professors. "What are you, a _year_ older than me?" Malfoy snorted.

"Unless you're a twenty year old still in your seventh year, I doubt it," she shot back, realizing what the young man was doing, but not quite sure how to handle the situation. Her inexperience was already a problem.

"Three years, _excuse_ me." With that, Draco began walking, heading up the middle staircase, and Aradia rushed to follow him, finding the Slytherin walked quite briskly as compared to the gimp Filch.

"Well, I'm still your professor. Age has nothing to do with it," she pointed out, theory seeming logical to her. They went to the right and through a door, revealing a seemingly never-ending tower of staircases and inwardly, Dia groaned, not liking the complex look of this at all.

"Age has _everything_ to do with it," Malfoy contrasted, beginning to make his way up one set of stairs. "First off, you'll have to work a lot harder to earn our respect, especially us seventh years. We aren't just going to do something because you tell us to."

"Well you should. I'm your teacher," she argued, following the platinum head in front of her while trying to look at all the living portraits that lined the staircase walls.

"Yes, but we won't," he confirmed simply. "And you're probably going to have to deal with a lot of… comments by your male students. Again, mainly the seventh years."

She paused for a quick second at the top of the stairs, looking through a rounded archway and down a hall, which must have been the first floor. "And why is that?" Dia asked in a certain tone once she tuned in again, chasing after Draco as he made his way up a second set of stairs.

"Are you blind? I'm sure you've had a look at the rest of the staff. A bunch of old bats. But you're young, healthy and easy on the eyes. Of course the boys are going to give you a hard time. It's what we do," the student elaborated.

"Oh, so this will include you?" Dia demanded, a hint of anger in her voice. She was going to have to deal with enough confusion with this being her first year; being harassed by her students was really the last thing she needed.

"_Especially_ me." His attitude was beginning to make Dia uneasy, fear of having students with even more obvious defiance really worrying her.

"Well, I'll just have to talk to McGonagall about that then," she tried to come back with confidently.

Draco snorted, and she was sure he rolled his eyes. "Go ahead. Though I wouldn't recommend doing so. I would just sit back and take it. We'll get bored eventually. All running to McGonagall will do is land you on the receiving end of every prank pulled this year." Her jaw dropped slightly as he basically told her she would be hazed throughout the beginning of this year and all she could really do was accept it.

"But—" Dia's protest was cut short as the staircase she was climbing suddenly moved, instinct forcing her to grab onto Draco's shoulder so she didn't end up tumbling down the steps as she yelped in shock. Draco had seemingly been expecting the sudden shift and had already been holding onto the railing, though he'd continued to walk until she had grabbed at him.

"They move, by the way." She could feel the smirk on his lips though his back was to her.

"Yeah, _thanks_." The steps stopped at another opening to the second floor and Dia sighed, things such as moving staircases and brooms always making her stomach churn a bit.

Aradia stared down at the steps, expecting them to move again, and sighed when it seemed they were stilled for the time being. Realizing she was still gripping her student's shoulder for dear life, she quickly pulled her hand back, eliminating all physical contact. Embarrassed, she blushed a little, especially when he turned and a smirk made it's way onto his pointed face.

Being only human, she couldn't help but notice that he was rather attractive. He was taller than her, standing at about six feet probably, and strands of his neat blonde hair hung in his steely gray eyes, falling about an inch past his cheekbones. She also couldn't deny the admiration she had for his nice, lean build, and when he caught her staring, his smirk growing in satisfaction, she became even redder in the face.

"See something you like?" he asked cheekily, making Dia finally peel her eyes away and continue her path up the staircase and past him, before it began moving again or something. "You know, it's improper to be ogling your students like that, _Professor_," he called form behind her.

"I certainly was not ogling anything, Mr. Malfoy!" Aradia defended, reminding herself that she was indeed a teacher, not some lust-stricken schoolgirl. She paused and allowed Malfoy to pass her, remembering she had no idea where to go. "As if there's anything to ogle," she muttered bitterly under her breath, trailing behind Malfoy as he whisked down a hallway.

Dia was forced to stop abruptly, eyes going wide in shock as Draco turned sharply and stopped, the young witch nearly running straight into him. _'This_ _is_ _precious._ _He_ _towers_ _over_ _me_ _and_ _he's_ _absolutely_ _intimidating!_ _My_ _own_ _student!'_ she thought as he stared her down. She just prayed her thoughts weren't apparent in her facial expression.

"What was that?" Dia flinched backwards when he spoke, uncomfortable with the close proximity of their noses.

"Nothing that concerns you," she said in a strong voice, no matter how faux it may have been. Malfoy studied her face for any trace of a lie before he turned on his heel and continued walking.

Aradia didn't like the power this… _child_ seemed to have over her by his mere demeanor. She had to remember, he was a little boy, testing his boundaries, seeing what he could get away with around the new professor. Dia made a mental note to enforce her authority with him next time he decided to act smart with her, and she was absolutely certain there would be a next time.

"This is your office. I suggest next time, you don't forget your map." And giving his teacher a final, icy look, he turned, tailored robes billowing behind him, and disappeared down the hallway to continue his patrols as Head Boy.

Sighing, Aradia let her head press into the door of what Malfoy told her was her office. He was going to be trouble for her, she already knew it. It didn't help that he was devastatingly attractive either.

But no. She couldn't let herself be distracted by something so juvenile as good-looking boys. There was bound to be a large number of them around. Dia needed to keep her head on straight.

"There you are!" Speaking of good-looking boys…

Oliver Wood appeared at the end of the hall, briskly making his way towards his colleague, a slight flush on his cheeks from the quick pace he'd been searching the school at once he'd lost track of the newcomer.

"Sorry about that. Things can get hectic around here. Looks like you found your way though," he pointed out, offering a friendly smile.

"I understand. It was a mad rush to get out of there," Dia chuckled, remembering the mess of dark robed witches and wizards, all trying to exit the Great Hall at once and overflowing the entrance hall. "I ran into the Head Boy, so he was kind enough to escort me."

Wood pulled a strange face, a combination of surprise and disgust crossing his handsome features. "Er, yes. Malfoy seems to have gotten that position somehow. Pleasant one, eh?" The comment was clearly sarcastic and Dia realized with their age difference the two young men must have been in school together as students at some point.

"Mmm, yes. He did seem to have an arrogance about him. But I'm just thankful to not be lost in this massive place. It's like a bloody labyrinth, and I've only seen a bit of it!" Oliver chuckled and nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, it can be overwhelming," Wood agreed, chocolate eyes glittering as he smiled at Dia. "But if you like, I can meet you here in the morning. Assure you you won't miss breakfast. And I promise not to lose you this time," he added sheepishly.

Dia bared her white teeth in a wide smile, the soothing sound of his Scottish accent and his warm, dark eyes relaxing the tension the blonde Slytherin had created. "Should we make an Unbreakable Vow?" she teased lightly, causing the substitute flying instructor to shamefully put his hands over his face. "That would be lovely of you," she replied, seriously this time.

Oliver sighed a little, looking a bit less embarrassed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Breakfast ends at nine, so how does ten of eight sound?" Oliver suggested.

"That will be perfect Oliver. Thank you very much." Dia did her best to fight a yawn, but was unsuccessful, and was forced to cover her mouth to continue with the tired gesture.

Wood saw this as his cue to let Aradia get her rest and take his leave. "All right well, I'll leave you to settle in. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she repeated, pushing the door to her office open once Oliver was on his way down the hall. It was fairly clear to Dia that there was some sort of mutual attraction between herself and the young quidditch player.

Now wasn't the time to be having some off-shot romance with someone she'd be working with, or even thinking about it. Of course, he _was_ only here temporarily. Maybe after he left…

Walking through the doorway, Dia was surprised that her office was of a reasonably comfortable size. Upon entering, there was her own private desk, to the side, a small table she knew would be absolutely perfect for her tea set, and a comfortable looking four-poster bed draped in deep purples to match the plush armchair sitting in front of her personal fireplace. Approaching the desk, she saw a folded piece of parchment, which she lifted and opened. "A bloody map. Brilliant," she muttered, wishing she had this to begin with.

Also on the desk was a pot of purple ink, an elegant pheasant quill, and what looked to be her weekly timetable. Her first ever class would be with the first years of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. This was a relief to her; these students would be just as nervous as she. But she audibly groaned when she saw that the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins would be in her class after lunch tomorrow. She was going to have this one opportunity to instill in their adolescent heads that she was not one to be messed with and wouldn't be taken advantage of.

That was certainly going to take some preparation.

Trying not to dwell on her dread, Dia rushed over to the southern window, a clear view of the moonlit lake and the faint outline of the quidditch hoops visible. She was willing to bet she had one of the best views in the entire castle!

Aradia had to do a double take on the lake as she started to turn away, swearing she'd seen a long tentacle arching out of the water, but when she looked back, all that was there were small ripples and the reflection of the moon in the dark water.

Dia passed by her trunk, sitting at the foot of the bed and opened the two doors at the back wall, discovering a closet (with all her clothes already hung and organized) behind one and a private bathroom behind the second.

The bath was quite large and accommodating, something she was certainly going to look forward to. She could just imagine how nice it would feel to settle down in some steamy water and lavender scented suds.

But she had much to prepare for tomorrow, so she made her way over to the desk and took a seat in the cushioned chair before it.

* * *

As promised, Wood arrived on time, five minutes early in fact, and Dia was pleased to have an escort down to the Great Hall since she'd already forgotten her way. She was sure to pay a little extra attention to where Oliver led her so she wouldn't forget again. Wouldn't it be lovely to give that Malfoy boy a reason to be smug if he caught her wandering aimlessly around the castle again?

"Have a good sleep?" Oliver questioned as they made their way down a staircase that had only just rotated before them. Dia was certainly pleased that had happened before she'd gotten on the steps.

"Afraid not," she admitted. "I couldn't have gotten more than a few hours. I was looking through my books and such, trying to go over my lesson plans. It's all very overwhelming, trying to organize different activities for all the individual years. I believe I have the first week sorted out now though. But I'm sure you know all about hat," she quickly added, not wanting to sound pitiful. Surely Wood was enduring the same stress as she.

The Scot chuckled and shook his head as they descended the small, stone steps into the entrance hall, which was littered with students from all the houses, slowly making their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast, a few being distracted by conversation. "Actually, it's not all that difficult to me. Madam Hooch will be back before the year's over. All I'm really doing is teaching the young kids how to properly ride a broom and overseeing Quidditch." She was sure he was just being modest, or he didn't quite know what he was in for, but she found his nonchalance attractive nonetheless.

"Regardless. It sounds like much more time spent on a broomstick that _I'd_ be able to handle," Aradia revealed, laughing light-heartedly.

"You can't possibly be serious?" he asked, looking suddenly flabbergasted.

"I'm _deathly_ serious. Flying is definitely not my favorite method of travel. The height… and the swaying. Ugh, I'm feeling ill just thinking about it."

"You must at least _watch_ quidditch though."

"On occasion. But I've honestly never been a very sporty person." A faint expression of disappointment washed over Oliver's handsome face, but Aradia ignored it and made her way over to the Head's table to sit.

It wasn't as though Dia didn't enjoy sports or activities; she'd just never had a real opportunity to participate in them. When her father was around, while she was at schooling age, her life had been consumed by learning. Education was more important to her father than anything, and her young life was mostly spent honing her skills in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and the Dark Arts. Of course, being a Death Eater, Martin Mercer valued his daughter's knowledge and execution of the Dark Arts above all other subjects. Which is why she'd seen the open position at Hogwarts as an amazing opportunity. After all, those who know the Dark Arts are generally the ones best able to fend them off.

She wasn't like her father; she never had been. But her personality didn't erase all the things she had learned from some of the greatest dark witches and wizards in the world. But she took the high road, unlike so many others in her shoes, and decided to use her knowledge of dark magic to help the children who would be the future of the wizarding world to defend themselves.

"Good morning my dear," Slughorn greeted Aradia as he took his seat on the right of her. Immediately, the older man began piling his plate with the food sitting before him, then pouring himself and Dia each goblets of pumpkin juice.

"Thank you," Dia expressed, taking the offered beverage. Wood came to join them a second later, abandoning the group of older Gryffindor students he'd gotten hooked into conversation with.

Breakfast passed all too quickly for Dia, her attention buried in conversation with the two men on either side of her. Before she knew it, the food had all disappeared, time tables passed out to the students and McGonagall had announced the start of the first school day.

And again, Dia found herself lost in the castle. Just wonderful.

This time, she had absolutely no idea what floor she was on or anything of the sort. She had consulted the map that had been left in her office, however, it wasn't doing her much good at all.

"I don't suppose you know where your classroom is either?" The snotty voice behind Dia made her turn and look to find the Head Boy once again, a stupid, superior smirk on his face. Why oh why, of all people, did Malfoy have to be the one to find her staring stupidly at her map?

"It's this bloody map. It makes no sense," she muttered frustrated, defiantly staring down at the yellowed piece of parchment, decorated in flat replicas of the castle walls that surrounded her.

With a roll of his eyes, Malfoy approached the witch and peered over at the map she was studying before shaking his head and grabbing the top corners, pulling it from her grasp, then flipping it right side up. Dia's face flushed such a hot shade of red, she was sure she would die right on the spot. In her nervous panic to get to her classroom, she hadn't even realized that she'd been holding the map upside down.

"Erm… thank you," she muttered, despite herself. He probably thought she was a right fool and would go running to McGonagall to report what a blasted idiot the new professor was. Nervously, Aradia finally turned her eyes back up to the blonde to find an overly amused expression on his face.

"I'd watch your language if I were you professor. Wouldn't want to have to issue you a detention." Malfoy felt an overwhelming sense of pride when he saw the shocked look on his soon to be professor's face. He couldn't just stop there. "Your classroom is on the first floor. See you there after lunch." And with a quick raise of his eyebrows at the speechless young woman he had indeed pushed into the pond all those many years ago, he went on his way back towards his first lesson of the day.

He couldn't be bothered to even yell at the small group of Hufflepuff first years who looked frightened and lost as he made his way past the History of Magic classroom. Oh no. He was far too delighted with the promise that his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was going to be lovely entertainment for at least the first half of the year.

Ah yes, he could picture it now. Dropping things as she walked by so she'd have to bend down and pick them up. Sending her anonymous, filthy notes that only she could read, only to have them incinerate right before her eyes in order to destroy any trace of the sender's handwriting. Oh, Draco was going to have a wonderful time.

And he knew the only other person in school he sought to be competent enough to keep in his company anymore would enjoy it just as much as he.

Speak of the devil…

Blaise Zabini appeared at the top of the staircase Draco had been ascending, looking rather pleased with himself as a group of fifth year Ravenclaw girls giggled and batted their eyelashes at the attractive young Italian. Brushing them off lightly, since it absolutely happened all the time, Blaise looked past them and nodded his head in greeting to his fellow Slytherin.

"Blaise," Draco retorted, reaching the top of the staircase conveniently before it shifted.

"Right mate, let's see the schedule," Blaise suggested, pulling his own timetable from his robe pocket as Draco searched for his own. "Nearly the same," Zabini observed, noticing the only difference in their schedules was Draco had N.E.W.T. level Charms while Blaise had Divination. Blaise's dark eyes focused on the slot after the lunch period on both their schedules and a smirk rose on his full lips, one to nearly rival that of Draco's himself. _Nearly_.

"I think this is the first time I've been itching to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts… _ever_." Blaise handed Draco his schedule back to him and the two made their way towards their first class of the morning, which happened to be Transfiguration. "Did you get a good look at that new bird?" Blaise whistled lowly in appreciation.

The corner of Draco's lips twitched up as he thought back to his two encounters with the young professor. "She's all right."

"All right? _All right_? She's more than all right. Draco my friend, that is a _woman_. Not to be confused with all the little girls running around here," Blaise told his housemate matter-of-factly. "What do you reckon my chances of bagging her are?"

Draco just snorted in reply, bossily pushing past the queue of his housemates and the Ravenclaws that were waiting to be let into the classroom.

As they waited, Draco pondered what Blaise's actual shot at scoring with a teacher would be. If her backbone was as brittle as Draco had already come to the conclusion it was, than his friend might actually have a shot.

Not a better shot than Draco himself, of course.


End file.
